Daily Number

42 percent

June 6, 2012

Turnout for yesterday’s primary contests was light but turnout is generally low in New Jersey even for general elections. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 42 percent
of those eligible to vote actually went to the polls in 2010, which puts the Garden State near the bottom when it comes to exercising the right to vote.

The worst offenders are youths, as only 17 percent of those between the ages of 18-29 voted in the 2010 election. Also, the older you are, the more likely you are to vote, as 57 percent of those over the age of 65 vote. The same goes for education, as the more educated someone was the more likely they were to vote. Women and men vote at the relatively same rate.

African-Americans voted slightly more often than whites in 2010 (47 percent vs. 44 percent) but both voted more than Hispanics (28 percent.)